Street aide suspended in flap Tumar Alexander violated a ban on city workers' political activity, his boss said. He allegedly made threats before a firebomb attempt.

Tumar Alexander, the city official involved in a confrontation outside Republican mayoral candidate Sam Katz's North Philadelphia campaign office last week, was suspended for seven days without pay for mixing politics with work.

In a news conference yesterday, Managing Director Philip R. Goldsmith said that Alexander, one of his assistants, violated the City Charter by appearing to aid Mayor Street's reelection campaign. The suspension from his $63,000 post begins today.

"His actions did not bring credit to the Managing Director's Office and the many hardworking men and women who serve in it," Goldsmith said. "Upon his return, his actions will be under the microscope by the press and the public, as well as by myself."

Police continued investigating the remains of a suspected firebomb discovered last Wednesday morning at the Katz campaign office, hours after the landlord said he received threats from two Street supporters, including Alexander.

But Capt. Thomas Quinn of Central Detectives said that there were no suspects, adding that it would not be possible to tie the threats to the alleged firebomb unless new information surfaced.

Goldsmith said that Alexander denied any involvement with the "projectile" thrown through the window of the Katz office, and he said that his own probe had turned up no evidence to the contrary.

Alexander was "remorseful about his conduct and accepted full responsibility for his actions," Goldsmith said.

But Alexander will be on a tight leash when he returns. "Two strikes and you're out," Goldsmith said.

"This is one of the examples of abuses of power in the Street administration," said Maureen Garrity, a spokeswoman for the Katz campaign. "This kind of arrogance of power will end in November."

Katz's field office near 22d Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue reopened at 9:30 a.m. yesterday after being closed for cleanup and repairs over the Labor Day weekend.

Lewis Harris, who owns the building that houses the first-floor office, said that a line of people waited for the door to open and that a steady stream of residents showed support throughout the day. Harris said he was considering placing metal bars on the windows and installing surveillance video cameras.

The discovery of gasoline on a wick - the bottle in the alleged firebomb, which did not ignite, was thrown in the trash by a building maintenance worker - and broken windows at the office caused a stir in the campaign for mayor.